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Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: ( 2 Customer Reviews )

Another beautiful Lang albumJuly 13, 2013By Alan F. See All My Reviews"David Langs Death Speaks is another beautiful work that is both intimate and epic. Lang takes text from Franz Schuberts art songs, specifically anytime Death is speaking to the living. The music - a quartet made up of vocalist Shara Worden, guitarist Bryce Dessner, pianist (and fellow composer) Nico Muhly, and violinist Owen Pallett - is very clearly Langs voice, yet much of it new even for him. Although each individual movement in Langs work contains text from multiple art songs, he still manages to utilize his own version of text painting to create a story. The final track, Depart, is a beautiful meditation; also on the subject of death, it was commissioned for a French hospital morgue. Listen with headphones at the very least, with a full surround stereo at best, as the last piece especially utilizes spatial location of the cello and voices."Report Abuse

A wonderful new album!May 29, 2013By Daniel Kozlowski See All My Reviews"It seems David Lang has begun a new, introspective phase of his life. Beginning with 2007s The Little Match Girl Passion, Lang has been exploring the fragile and transient aspects of life. This years release, Death Speaks, is an obvious continuation of that stream. Soprano Shara Wardens tremendous voice complements the goals of this album magnificently. On the first track, You Will Return, her fragile tone is suspended amid the music-box plucking of accompanying musicians Owen Pallett, Nico Muhly, and Bryce Dessner. The second track, I Hear You, is more aggressive in nature, while the rest of the album continues a low hum of reflection. The final track, Depart, is not part of the song cycle and features Maya Beysers multi-tracked cello with four wordless voices; its a captivating 18-minute meditation on the afterlife. To put it plainly, this album is incredible. I havent been able to put it down since I got it, and neither will you. The quality of the recording is top-notch, and Im not sure the playing could be any better. I will say that if youre considering buying this as your first David Lang album, I may point you elsewhere: Little Match Girl Passion, This Was Written By Hand, or So Percussions self-titled album are probably more mainstream Lang. Regardless, this is a wonderful album that isnt just a good listen, its a point of reflection."Report Abuse